Horn-gap switch and lightning-arrester.



A. W. BURKE. HORN GAP SWITCH AND LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1910A,

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 BHEETS-S HEBT 1.

A. Wl BURKE. HORN GAP SWITCH AND LIGHTNING ARRESTEB.

APPLICATION FILED APR.Z,1910.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912 2 SHBETSSHEET 2.`

m 1M i d W, n

FEED W. BURKE, O PITTSBRGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

Hoen-GAP SWITCH AND1 LIGHTNING-aannemen.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application mea pra 2, 1910. seal No. 553,079.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it`known that I, LPRED W. BURKE, a subject of the King of Great Britain. residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleglienj.' and State of Pehnsylvania,`have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horn-Gap Switches and Lightning-Arresters, of which the following is a specification, y

This switch, with lightning arrester, is especially designed for use on high-tension transmission-lines, andfor opening the circuit under load.

The switchcomprises the usual pivoted blades and fixed jaws, and a pair of relativelymovahle horns, or opposed diverging conductors, arranged to first engage and shunt the current as the switch is opened and to then spi-fag out of contact and break the resulting arc, rising on the diverging horns.

The lightning arrester comprises a conductor constituting part of the circuit. bent to form a loop one side of which is'inclined. and an opposed inclined ggozzmded conductor, the loop acting as a choke-coil or reactauce and the opposed direrging members constituting a horn Itrap and quickly breaking any arc sprung between them.

Referring to the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, with the switch closed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus, showing one insulator cap in section gl Fig. 3 is a plan View of the apparatus. showing the switch partly opened and the shunt horns in engagement; Fig. 4 is an end View showing the lightning arrester and shunt horns: and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a double-throw switch.

In the apparatus illustrated, the incoming line 1 is secured inya socket in one end of a bronze bar 2, whih is screwed to a brass cap 3 rigidly engaging the upper end of an insulator 4. f

The line member of the lightning arrester consists of a bronze rod 5, one end of which is secure-fl in a socket in the adjacent end of the har L. and which is/ent to form a triangular loop o, 7i. c. f7. the other end being secured. in a socket 9- ot the switch. Opposed to the portion i) of loep 5 is a horn or inc-lined conductor G. carried by a metal supp nrt 7 which grounded by a line 8.

The ylizvrnirlgf metal conductors 5 und ti' constitute a horn gap, and any arc which nary .-pring hetu'ccn their adjacent lower ends at once travels up along the horns and lengthens until it breaks. The loopedpot tion of the` line conductor acts 'as a chokecoil or reactance, forcing any lightning dis- 6,3

charge to jump theap between the horns and pass to earth, w ereupon the resulting arc automatically breaks.-

The switch comprises apair ofl copper jaws' 10 screwed to 'a brass cap 11 secured on 6,5

the. top of a insulator 12, and of a; movable blade 13, screwed to brass caps 14, 15,-

secured on the upper ends of insulators 16, 17. The insulators@ and 12 are carried by pins 18, 19, rising from a fixed support-bar 20, and the insulators 16, 17., yare ycarried by 2 acting as a pivot extends downward through a hole in the end of a bar 28 and another hole i@ the end of the blade 13, into4 the brass cap 15. The barj2i8 has a` socket 29 receiving the outgoing line 30. The im- 30 perfect electrical joint between the blade 13 and har 23 is shunted by a tleXi-ble c'onductor 31. v

Secured in a socket 32 extending from the.

switch blades 10 is a hornor inclined bronze st rod 33, and opposed to this horn is another similar one 34, the lower,` end of which is secured in a socket 35 riveted to a flat steel spring 3G, the other end of'which is riveted to the brass cap 14.-. .T he steelV spring being thin and of relatively low conductance,

is shunted by a flexible conductor 38. When the switch is closed and its blade is in the position in Fig. 1,*the horns 33, 34 stand at a considerable distance from each other. As

the switch is openen oy rotatinvtthe vertical shaft 24, the bar Q3-carrying tchc insulators 16, 17, and the Iswitch-blade, tlhe lower end of the horn 34 approaches thelower end of'the horn 33 and engages it just beforgjlgt the switch blade leaves the javtfsdt);V thus shuntinV the current froni the blade to the engage( horns and fev'hting any aroing at the jaws. A s the blade is moved stil farther outward,-the spring 36 gradually 105 yields until finally the horn 34 slips by and out ot engagement with the horn 33, whereupon an arc immediately forms between the lower adjacent ends of these horns. But

hy :einem of the divergence of the horns in this-po iran. such arr immediately travels upward along the horns, the horn on the broken.

blade also moving away from the fixed horn, whereby thearc is both automatically and mechanically lengthened and quickly These sh horns thereby constitute the only portion of the switch circuit at which an :irc may form, and the arc is so quickly broken that-,ghe horns last for a. considerable period. e horns are rela'-Y vtively inexpensivejandere easily renewed, theilgloivver ends being?l rem'oyglbl secured in their sockets', aszby' slet screws; e switch jaws are beveled es shogwniiFigi'l, so that the break at this p int occnsI at the extreme end of thqsvvl'tgcllv de. The i ws being at 'a consideabf terdistanc from; the pivot ofthe r".- $11 a Vthe ogrns 33, 34, the Aoiitvnixicb,ggf?? ljof tli @agile ifckly widens t Y y P 'dwg'iwigile' bringing thehomgi., 5 2 .f i The operate electrically or me@ 41o e *used-r as an auto" y .the ntroy dct'ion'of'iysiildrip- .F or polyphase circliitficintical s itches are provided for eaoh; lii; the several switches bemi oonvenentiyimounted in proximity.

ig. ,5 ill `a double-throw switch liorli's. In different a Mlugfspectivgi V sockets 9,y vfmoligted, on ins'u tors 12, 12 at opposite Sides theinsiilzitor 1G on which is plvotally fnoun ed thefsocket 20 receiving the line 30. Thelinsulator 12 cai-riesjews 10 end the linsulator'l carries jaws i0', which are adapted to lternately receive' the switch-blade 13 'and connect their respective line with line 30. An arc horn 33 is mounted on the insulator 12 and e cor-v responding arc horn '34 is Vflexibly mounted on the insulator 17, being secured to its brass cap 14 on the side opposlte that to which the horn 34 is secured.

VI claim:4 l A,

1. A s witch comprisingz relatively Inovable switch membershayinfg arc,horns;`s aid horns normally employing 'sv 'dnt this switch, .two

secured iin out oi cntactfbut `positionedV to make'contact b i and to break Contact after It 1s ipened, 2. A switch, comprising 'iixe and m'ovy switc gfore the'switc'ii is opened i able switch-members, a fixed are horn in circuitwith the fixed switch-member, and im opposed a'rc horn carried by the movable swltch-member, in position to temporaril engage the fixed horn as the switch s opened.

3. A switch, comprising fixed and movable svvitch-members ,A a fixed arc horn in circuit with the fixed switcl1-mernber, and an opposed are horn flexibly carried by the movable switch-member, in position to temporarily engage the fixed horn as the switch is opened.

4. A switch, comprising fixed beveled switch-jews= a pivoted switehblade, a fixed arc horn in circuit wit the switch-jaws, sind an opposed arc horn flexibly carried by the blade, between its pivotl and the switch-jaws. ,l 5. A d oub'lcathrdw switch, comprising tivo fixed switch-members connected to different lines, a movable switch-member, afixed arc horn mclrcult wlth each fixed switch-member, and two arc horns carried by the movable switch-member, in position to respectively coperate with the fixed arc horns.

6. A doublethrow switch, comprising two sets of fixed beveled switcirjaws connected to different lines, a pivoted switch-blade, le. fixed arc horn in circuit with each set of switch-jaws, and twomrc horns flexibly can ried by the switch-blade, in position to respectively cooperate with the fx'edai-C horns.

7. A Switch comprising fixed and movable switch members, a fixed are ihorn in circuit with the fixed switchmembei'. and an oppos ingnrc horn resiliently carried by the movable .switch member, the nic horns being out ot' contact in the closed position oi' the switch but arranged@ mnlic contact before the switch is Iopened and to break Contact after it is opened.

In testimony whereof, I ufiix my signature in presence oftwo 'Witnesses JUGENEA. l vimos, GHARLES H. vOT'IER.

Corrections It is hereby certified that in Letterel Patent No. 1,022,619, granted April 9, 1912, upon the application of Alfred W. Burke, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for an Horn-Gap Switchen sind LightningArrosters, errors appear in Page 1, line 60, for the improvement in the printed specification requiring correction as follows:

word reactance read imperi/ww; .same page. iiue 61S, tor the :t1-ticle "n read an,

and line 94, after the word poeition insert the word show/t.' page 2, line 32, for

the referoneeummorzil "2U" read :25): and that the said Letters lntent `ehould be remi with their*l cori-oli tions therein that the .mine may conform to the record of the me in the Patent Oiiiee.

Signed ari-d. sealed this 14th day oi Mav. A. Ll., 191

C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Uomnzssvlmwr of Patents.

[SEAL] 

